A new type of microcarrier was prepared for anchorage-dependent animal cell culture. Similar to the commercial product Cytodex 1, the newcomer is also spherical in micro-size range with ionic group DEAE, but the matrix is konjac glucomannan (KGM) from a natural plant. The optimal anion exchange capacity (AEC) was found to be 2.1 to 2.4 mmol/g dry microspheres. Five cell lines were cultured in static mode with the KGM microcarriers, including Vero, CHO-K1, MDCK, Wish and L929 cells. These cells adhered well and grew to high cell density comparable with or even better than those did on Cytodex 1. A further comparison was made with Vero cell culture in spinner mode. It was found that Vero cells achieved more than 2 x 10(6) cells/ml, and showed faster cell adhesion and higher specific growth rate on the KGM microcarriers than on Cytodex 1. In 5 L bioreactor perfusion culture, Vero cells grew above 7.0 x 10(6) cells/ml and the rabies virus titer was about 7.7 IgLD(50)/ml, compared to Cytodex 1 in the same culture condition. The results suggest that the new type of microcarrier could be a promising candidate for various cell cultures. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.